Developmental psychology concerns itself with the changes (psychological
and otherwise) that occur as a result of our physical and mental
maturation. Typically, “development” refers to the systematic changes
that take place between our conception and death. While this definition
may seem quite broad, it will serve as a good starting point in our
quest to understand the field of developmental psychology. The first
thing we must realize as developmental psychologists is that our change
is systematic. This means that the process by which we grow and mature
over time is not defined by random, isolated events but by orderly and
relatively long-term patterns. This also means that while individuals
themselves may differ quite a bit, the developmental patterns that they
undergo are similar. These concepts are crucial in that they allow us,
as psychologists, to study the way in which people develop and to make
predictions about the future based on that development. Developmental
psychologists study both continuities and discontinuities in our
development. Continuities refer to developmental patterns that remain
the same throughout our lives, meaning that growth occurs steadily and
smoothly. For example, some developmental psychologists examine links
between infants’ temperament and their personality characteristics in
later childhood and adolescence. In contrast, discontinuities refer to
developmental patterns that remain the same for lengthy periods but
occasionally show relatively sudden, rapid change. For example, you will
learn much about the stages of psychosocial development proposed by Erik
Erikson, whose research suggested that individuals struggle with a
predominant internal conflict at each of eight stages of the lifespan.
With the successful resolution of each conflict, such as trust versus
mistrust in infancy, individuals acquire a greater capacity to handle
the hallmark conflicts of subsequent stages. This course emphasizes that
development proceeds throughout all stages of the lifespan. After a
brief introductory unit that will provide an overview of broad
developmental issues, theories, and research methods, you will look at
development in the womb, or prenatal development. The next three units
examine development during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Within
each unit, you will learn about key processes and issues related first
to physical development, then to cognition (mental processes), and then
to personality. Different subtopics will be emphasized in each lifespan
stage. For instance, in the realm of cognitive development, language
acquisition will be a major focus when you study childhood, since it is
such a critical and amazing accomplishment of the early years. In
adolescence, special attention will be given to how broad changes in
thinking are linked specifically to growth in moral understanding. The
course will conclude by exploring how humans approach and understand
death.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able
to:

describe the fundamental issues encountered and assumptions made by
psychologists who study development from the lifespan perspective;

discuss the interaction between and the roles of nature and nurture
in lifespan development, including prenatal development;

describe the basic development of the human nervous system
throughout the lifespan;

explain the developmental processes associated with the five senses;

describe the important developmental milestones and age expectations
associated with motor skills, social skills, cognitive ability,
sensory awareness, and the use of language;

discuss the important theories of cognitive development, including
those of Piaget, Vygotsky, the information-processing approach, and
the intelligence perspective;

Note: This course will make use of several resources that require
web browser add-ins. Please confirm that you have the following
plug-ins available on your computer, or download and install them from
the provided web links.

For most of these plug-ins, you must close your web browser prior to
installation. Be careful to choose the correct version for your specific
operating system (e.g., Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS,
etc.).

Requirements for Completion: To complete this course, you will need
to work through each unit and all of its assigned materials. You will
also need to complete the final exam.

To “pass” this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the
final exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you
complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.

Time Commitment: This course should take you a total of
69 hours**** to complete. Each unit includes a “time advisory” that
lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit.
These should help you plan your time accordingly. It may be useful to
take a look at these time advisories and determine how much time you
have over the next few weeks to complete each unit and then set goals
for yourself. For example, Unit 1 should take you 16 hours. Perhaps you
can sit down with your calendar and decide to complete the first half of
subunit 1.1 (a total of 2 hours) on Monday night, the second half of
subunit 1.1 (a total of 2 hours) on Tuesday night, half of subunit 1.2
(a total of 2 hours) on Wednesday, and so forth.

Tips/Suggestions: It may be helpful to take notes on the resources
in each unit. These notes will be a useful study tool as you begin to
prepare for your final exam.

Table of Contents: You can find the course's units at the links below.